Nordic SkiingNordic Combined - finland
Nordic Combined Team Finland
Neveitalia.it met the head coach of the Finnish Nordic Combined Petter Kukkonen that tells us the positive season got from his young team, their Olympic expectations and dell''importanza to get back in the team Hannu Manninen.
Tuesday 11 April 2017 10 minutes reading time
For Finland the Nordic combined in 2012 can be defined as a kind of year zero. The 'year before Hannu Manninen had abandoned the' activities to concentrate on driving career. Simultaneously Anssi Koivuranta had decided to return to the discipline he loved as a child and groped to establish itself in the special jump. In the top 30 he remained the only Ryynänen but already showed the symptoms of a lack of motivation led then nell''intraprendere definitive time the engineering studies for the 'family business.
A little light, but at that time only noticed by very few people, it had been the 'silver medal in the 15 year old Ilkka Herola the Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck. But other than that there was no Suomi combined athlete who could turn a minimum of enthusiasm for the discipline.
So '' the Finnish Federation decided to award a long-term project to the young coach and former nordic combined Petter Kukkonen. For the native of Lieksa before accepting the 'offering of Suomen Hiihtoliitto there had been only a short but positive experience with the Estonian team.
After a first year of apprenticeship, Kukkonen and '' I managed to set up its own program of development of the discipline based mainly in '' increase national training camp in spreading the boys a greater culture based on work, and along with Antti Kuisma strengthen "recruitment" starting from the young and very young.
Year after year the situation of the Nordic Combined and '' improved a lot and this season the Finnish team not only has more '' than doubled its national contingent, with initial 2 units to the current 5. The sinivalkoinen concluded with Herola and Hirvonen in the top 10 of the general and gained heavy medals in world junior with 19 year-old Arttu Mäkiaho guaranteeing the next few years a constant presence with more units in the '' world's elite as they did in the good old days when the '' golden era of Manninen and Lajunen.
We met just the head coach Petter Kukkonen which took stock of the situation of this positive Finnish Nordic Combined season.
- Finland has started the season with two guys in the top 55 WRL .Now your young team has secured four seats in the World Cup next year plus the nominal instead of the Junior World Champion Mäkiaho. Are you satisfied with your season and this was in your plans last fall?
Yes. I was very pleased with our results this season. Our goal was to expand the World Cup team and this has finally happened. C''era was too much pressure on the shoulders of a single athlete in the past.
- Exactly; we talk about Ilkka Herola. He has done a '' another big step forward in the fund (many times in the top 5 as time on the narrow skis), but in parallel has made improvements in the jump. Can you tell us qual''e '' his problem in this area?
I think the biggest challenge of Ilkka in the jump is the mental side. At its best level he is a great leaper, but now he wants to force the result to the maximum. We need to clarify what '' which means a good jump for him. Both from the side of the technique that in the mental side.
- Finally this season Eero Hirvonen turned up an entire totally healthy season apart from the small problem with the stress fracture before Christmas, entering the top 10 of the general. He has made tremendous improvements in a single season. You think I have more room for growth?
Eero had no diseases during the season, this '' and '' the main reason for his entry in the top 10. He and '' much stronger as regards the mental side. And '' grown both as a person and as an athlete. He now understands what '' and that '' need to be in the top 10. If he remains healthy, which seems to be his biggest challenge, I think he can develop into all aspects of Nordic combined.
- All your Finnish guys have made a big step forward in the end. Next summer workouts will be mainly directed to increase the share jump but without losing the difficult balance that characterizes our fascinating discipline?
You're right . Our great challenge is at the jump. This will be our big point to be developed during the next pre-season. In reality, '' what '' it was also our target for this season. But our work did not show the results that we all wanted.
- The 2016/17 season will mainly be remembered as one of the combined Germanic .As you judge the 'year of the Nordic combined in general? And how '' was the level of this season compared to that of 8-10 years ago?
The Germans were a very strong team quest''anno. Mainly because Austria and Norway have had health problems during the season and their strongest Combiners could not challenge the Germans at best. The level of the Nordic Combined is really high at the moment. There are many strong nations that actually develop the sport in all its parts training, logistics and technical support. Top athletes have an incredible level in both parts. This established '' and '' grown a lot over the last years. And you must be super strong in both the jump in the fund to achieve a podium in the World Cup.
I know you have a good part in the return of Hannu Manninen. What and '' your comment for Hannu World Championships in Lahti? And what can we expect from him at the Olympics in Korea 2018 hours which announced its future presence in Pyeongchang?
Manninen fortunately for us will continue until 2018. His season '' was pretty good if you take into account its part-time training. I think he got what he deserved in Lahti in 2017. But I'm sure in the next Olympics he will be stronger and prepared. Our goal there is a medal and with his precious help I think it's possible.
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